Month: July 2014

Seeking to improve ease of doing business in India, the government on Wednesday decided to extend the validity period of industrial licence to three years with a provision for further extension of two years.

However, the commerce and industry ministry’s press note said that the licence will lapse automatically after five years in absence of commencement of commercial production.

“In supersession of all earlier Press Notes, the period of validity of Industrial Licence is being extended from two years to three years as a measure for ease of doing business,” the note said.

Singer Justin Bieber reportedly wants to make his on-off girlfriend Selena Gomez upset and therefore uploaded picture of himself with model Chantel Jeffries.

The 20-year-old star posted a selfie of himself with Jeffries, with whom he was apparently in a relationship with, wrapped around one arm and model Catherine Johnston-Paiz because he wanted to hurt Gomez, 21, reported Hollywood Life.

“Justin posted those pictures with Chantel (Jeffries) to hurt Selena,” a source said, adding, “He knows how to push her buttons.”

‘Harry Potter’ star Daniel Radcliffe is likely to make a cameo in Judd Apatow’s ‘Trainwreck’.

Speculations about Radcliffe’s involvement in the movie started after he was photographed with a dozen of dogs near Bryant Park in New York, reported Aceshowbiz.

No source has confirmed Radcliffe’s casting and Apatow also played coy when a fan asked him whether or not the actor would appear in the film.

“Dan to cameo in Trainwreck?” the fan asked, to which the director jokingly replied, “Not true! He was just walking his dogs.”

TV star Kelly Wilkinson is reportedly not surprised by husband Hank Baskett’s affair with a transgender model Ava Sabrina.

Wilkinson, who was spotted without her wedding ring, is angry at Baskett because the news of his affiar has gone public, reported Hollywood Life.

“Kendra and Hank have an open marriage. They have had their own trysts throughout the years. But they know about what they do, nothing is behind each other’s backs,” a source said.

It was previously reported that the mother of two flushed her wedding ring down the toilet, when she learned about Baskett’s affair.

US President Barack Obama has commended the National Football team for their performance and making the country proud in the World Cup tournament in Brazil, the White House has said.

Obama called the team captain Clint Dempsey and the goalkeeper Tim Howard yesterday.

On the call, the President commended them not only for their work on the field, but for carrying themselves in a way that made the country proud.

The Obama administraion has ordered tighter security measures at certain overseas airports which have direct flights to the United States.

Making an announcement in this regard, the Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh Johnson did not list out such airports, but news reports said such a decision has been taken in view of the declaration of Islamic Caliphate by Islamic militants, who have gained control over parts of Syria and Iraq.

From India, New Delhi and Mumbai are the two airports having direct flights to the US.

An Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorist, suspected to be involved in the German Bakery blast of Pune in 2010, was arrested from the city today, the police said.

New study shows that while regular use of aspirin reduces ageing of cancer genes, smoking can accelerate them.

Scientists had discovered in the 1990s that regular use of aspirin over long periods of time decreases the risk of developing colorectal cancer by an average of 40 percent, but it is unknown how exactly the drug influences the cancer risk.

Julia Roberts’ half-sister, Nancy Motes, has accused her of driving her into depression in her suicide note .

Motes claimed Roberts and her family’s treatment of her had been so awful she would burst into tears every morning because she woke up, the Mirror reported.

The note begins with stating that anything John Dilbeck wanted from, then he could have, including her pet dog.

The feud between the two half-sisters began after Nancy sold a story to a newspaper about how Roberts used to tease her about her weight. (ANI)

The 46 Indian nurses stranded in Iraq’s Tikrit town that has been overrun by ISIS militants have been told to board a bus by unknown men and proceed to Mosul, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy confirmed to a news agency the development. The Indian embassy in Baghdad has advised the nurses to “try and hold on till (Thursday) morning”.

The nurses have not left, an official source told a news agency.

Pune-based Force Motors Ltd. today announced that the company will be the Title Sponsor of Rainforest Challenge in India, titled “Force Gurkha RFC India 2014”.

Force Motors is a pioneer in the field Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) and has recently forayed into the Personal Vehicles business with Force One SUV. It will promote its Extreme Off-Roader Vehicle; Force Gurkha with the title sponsorship of this event.

Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov has revealed that he wants Maria Sharapova to be his cheerleader when he beats Andy Murray in the Wimbledon quarter-final.

The 23-year-old, who is rumoured to be dating the Russian player, wants her to stay in London and watch the match, the Mirror reported.

He said that Sharapova is the best example of an athlete and player with her work ethic and he thinks that they can both learn things from each other.

The World No 13 said that he doesn’t want to compare himself to her, because even before he knew her, he thought she was the best.

Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov defeated Andy Murray in straight sets in the quarter-finals match held here today thus ending the Briton’s Wimbledon title defence.

Dimitrov, 23, who won the match 6-1 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in two hours and one minute and reach his first Grand Slam semi-final.

Murray had been on a 17-match winning streak at Wimbledon and was looking to reach his sixth consecutive semi-final. It is the first time since 2008 that he has failed to make the last four.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the continuation of the Plan scheme to modernise and strengthen Intellectual Property (IP) offices during the 12th Plan period.

The overall project cost would be Rs.309.6 crore, of which Rs.258 crore will be spent during 12th Plan and Rs.51.6 crore in the 13th Plan.

The implementation of the scheme will strengthen the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM) and address the increase in the number of fillings of IP applications.

CII welcomes the latest notification of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to increase the initial validity of Industrial License.

” Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has released Press Note No. 5 (2014 Series) through which Ministry of Commerce and Industry has sent a strong signal that the Government of India is committed to enhance ease of doing business in India” said Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General , CII.

TES Orbit, a magazine published by Takshila Educational Society has won the 1st runner-up trophy in the best magazine (NGO) category of the prestigious Shailaja Nair Foundation ICE Award s 2014.

The ICE awards – among the most coveted awards in the corporate world – were announced at a glittering ceremony held in Bandra, Mumbai recently.

Celebrities like John Abraham, Anup Jalota and Dr Radhakrishnan Pillai, author of Corporate Chanakya graced the occasion. Around 700 magazines from all over the country vie for the prestigious award every year.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved additional allocation for 50 lakh tonnes of rice for distribution to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families at BPL prices and Above Poverty Line (APL) price for the period July, 2014 to March, 2015 or till implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) by the respective State/UT whichever is earlier.

This will mitigate the problems of the people due to inflation in food p rices, particularly in those States/UTs where the NFSA has not been implemented so far.

Union Law and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today that the Central Government has empowered the State Governments to impose stock holding limit for onion and potatoes.

“Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has decided today that onion and potato must be brought in purview of stock holding limit under essential commodity act,” Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report on 30th June this year that an explosion in a pipeline of Gas Authority of India (GAIL) killed 15 people and injured 12 near Nagaram village in East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh on the 28th June.

It has issued notices to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Oil and Natural Gas Resources, CMD, Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and District Magistrate, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh calling for reports in the matter within two weeks.

The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee received the first copy of a coffee-table book titled ‘First Citizen: ‘ Pranab Mukherjee in Rashtrapati Bhavan’ today at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The book published by The Week magazine was released by Dr. Karan Singh in the presence of the President and Mr. Philip Mathew, Managing Editor, The Week.

Speaking on the occasion, the President complimented Philip Mathew and his team at The Week for the coffee table book which he said, would be of great interest to the public, especially students of history.

Union Minister of Steel, Mines and Labour and Employment, Narendra Singh Tomar has initiated steps to find ‘expeditious and acceptable solutions’ to the mining issues confronting the country.

Tomar, in a letter addressed to the Chief Ministers of States, has solicited their views on amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 and relevant rules.

The MMDR Act 1957 provides the legislative framework which governs the mining sector in the country.

Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh inaugurated eco-friendly sewage water treatment plant at the Water Technology Centre of the IARI here today.

Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Director General ICAR, S. Ayyappan and Director IARI, Dr H S Gupta were also present.

The Water Technology Centre (WTC) of IARI, which is engaged primarily in efficient use of water resources in agriculture, has developed an eco-friendly sewage water treatment plant in the IARI Delhi premises.

Union Law and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said about the cabinet approval to the transfer on lease of 12.91 acres of defence land to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) at Air Force station in Purnea.

The transfer of land would enable KVS to construct a new school building and associated infrastructure. This would facilitate provision of adequate educational facilities to the children of both defence personnel and civilians. (ANI)

India on Wednesday sought an assurance from the United States (U.S) that any such surveillance on Indian entities, Government and citizens would not recur as it happened in the recent past.

The Madras High Court bench here today set aside an order of the Alagappa University, which sought the Principal of the American College in Madurai M Davamani Christopher to surrender his PhD degree certificate.

Justice K Ravichandra Babu, allowing the petition filed by Devamani directed him to give a fresh representation to the Alagappa University (AU) and directed the institution to give an opportunity to him and consider it afresh based on merit.